[I have] no patience for countries that try to treat gays of lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them…You know, I think Putin and Russia have a big stake in making sure that the Olympics work, and I think that they understand that for most of the countries that participate in the Olympics, we wouldn’t tolerate gays and lesbians being treated differently. They are athletes. They are there to compete. And if Russia wants to uphold the Olympic spirit, then every judgment should be made on the track or in the swimming pool or the balance beam and people’s sexual orientation shouldn’t have anything to do with it.”

— President Obama addressing Russia’s antigay propaganda laws during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno

I appreciate our President. Don’t always agree, but I appreciate him. AND her husband.

Aug 6, 2013 at 11:52 pm · @Reply ·

Thedrdonna

Unless it’s the harm that comes from being fired from a job at a federal contractor, he’s cool with that. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not grinding us up for dog food like Romney would have (cheap dog food!) but his level of commitment seems…variable.

A mealy mouthed statement from the President. Memo to clueless President: we’re worried about our Russian gay brothers and sisters who will be persecuted long after the Sochi Olympics have finished and the athletes have returned home. Get a clue, Mr President.

Aug 7, 2013 at 1:42 am · @Reply ·

troybob

@Thedrdonna: what a line of crap. the support from this administration for queer rights has been unprecedented, as has the progress made since he took office. and every step of the way queers are whining ‘obama doesn’t care about gay rights’ and ‘he’s not moving fast enough’, acting like an executive order is a magic spell that he just refuses to cast out of spite. good thing he didn’t listen to you dudes on DADT, where an executive order would have screwed it all up. good thing he didn’t listen to you dudes on DOMA, where an executive order would have screwed it all up. good thing he didn’t listen to you dudes on immigration, where an executive order would have screwed it all up. good thing he didn’t try to cobble together a bunch of quick fixes that could be easily overturned by a future administration and in the meantime robbed the momentum for more permanent change in the legislature and courts.

i’m damn grateful to see the kind of progress already that growing up i had not expected to see in my lifetime. this whining ingratitude (not to mention foxnews-caliber histrionics) is not going to do us any favors, particularly since there will inevitably be a backlash.

Aug 7, 2013 at 2:14 am · @Reply ·

wakeupscreaming

The elites have no problem with the gays marrying, because it doesn’t interfere with their economic rape of the u.s., the illegal wars and power grabs.

Aug 7, 2013 at 3:26 am · @Reply ·

wakeupscreaming

Hey mr. President, how are you treating Manning? Teleprompter-reading idiot.

@Thedrdonna: Get some perspective for God’s sake. Look at what is taking place in Russia, with the Russian government and clergy’s approval and think about how that behavior is different from our President not living up to your standards 100% instead of the 90% he already has. No President has ever done more for GLBTQ rights – ever! Simple!

Aug 7, 2013 at 5:39 am · @Reply ·

dbmyers

The Fox News fascist trolls are out in force tonight! Maybe you should all go to Russia since you seem to have so many traits in common with the fascists over there.

Uh I’m pretty sure the winter Olympics are in Russia not the summer. I don’t know what winter Olympics you be watching that have a track, swimming pool, or balance beam Mr. Obama.

Aug 7, 2013 at 5:51 am · @Reply ·

Ronbo

@troybob: Buy a clue… Obama generally does just the opposite of what he says. Transparency? No, more imprisonment of whistleblowers than all other Republican presidents combined. Ending war? No, expansion of aggression into more countries, more drones, more corporate mercenaries, more military spending each year than Bush. Nobel Prize Winner? Yes, then more drone assassinations, attacks and killing of innocent women and children – collateral damage from his expanded war on terror. Ending torture? No, just outsourcing it to other countries.

Please don’t be fooled by a few trinket and bobbles, my silly one. It was even Biden who forced Obama’s hand to accept Gays. Obama was the one FOR our rights, then AGAINST our rights and still remains FOR “state’s rights” on our (un)equality. Obama structured our DADT rights as VOID when the next President changes his mind.

Did I mention that Obama has VOIDED our 4th Amendment rights also? Don’t be fooled by this Trojan Horse Republican. He takes action as a Republican, and gives you cheap lip service. I hope you can’t be bought by those luscious, inviting, full lips – there is a Republican brain working them.

Aug 7, 2013 at 8:00 am · @Reply ·

Ronbo

@dbmyers: The enemy of our enemy is NOT our friend. We can disagree with Obama’s War on the Constitution and our rights and still be Liberal/Progressive. In fact, supporting our Bill of Rights and the Constitution is the exact definition of Liberal.

Just ask the ACLU, my shallow friend.

Aug 7, 2013 at 8:05 am · @Reply ·

ouragannyc

Really disappointed at the level of ingratitude against President Obama.
Do you really think our cause would have progressed that far under President McCain and under President Romney?
WOW!

Okay, y’all, lets get a few things straight: I’m a liberal, if not a Democrat. I voted for Obama, twice. I don’t think he’s waging a war on the constitution, because I don’t have a personal theology about what the constitution does that he contradicts. On the other hand, lets look at what he’s done for LGBT rights. He certified the repeal of DADT. He didn’t actually repeal it himself, he just got out of the way. He refused to defend DOMA, but then again any Democrat these days kinda has to do that, because it’s a plank of their party. Besides, you want to give someone an award for that? How about Edie Windsor, and her lawyers. They are the heroes there. My point is this: Obama’s input thus far has been a kind of dynamic inaction. I’d rather have him than anyone else in office, but that doesn’t have to mean I think he pisses glitter and craps rainbows. And, ungrateful? Do we earn points by being polite? When can we start advocating for our rights again? Or should I just be happy I can file for unemployment jointly with my wife?

Aug 7, 2013 at 11:15 am · @Reply ·

Polaro

No one is perfect, but coming down on Obama for speaking up for gay rights in Russia is pretty ludicrous. Some of you have to whine and find the grey cloud wherever you go. Please, keep on topic, and save your drama for someone who cares (hint – no one).

Aug 7, 2013 at 12:26 pm · @Reply ·

pilgrimpoet

Amazing how much President bashing is cropping up here. He has made clear and definite progress in this country’s attitudes toward the LGBT community. Is it enough? We’ve got a long way to go, but I’d say no one in the office of President could have done more at this time than he has. Would I like to see the United States boycott the Olympics in Russia next year? The jury in my head is out because of my empathy for athletes who have trained so hard and so long to compete there. Meanwhile, the world MUST address, in one way or another, the heinous policies of Putin and his government regarding human rights, and in particular those of LGBT people in Russia. Yes, I wish that President Obama had been more forceful in his statements, but he has at least made a statement opposing it. Now from many quarters, including the Olympics Committee, I’d like to see some real action.

Aug 7, 2013 at 1:22 pm · @Reply ·

troybob

@Thedrdonna: except his strategy with DADT and DOMA, even if you want to call it inaction, has worked. anything he initiates himself is met with resistance by a party that wants to make sure he gets nothing done in office. and any solution he would have tried to implement on his own, had it not failed at the outset, would have been temporary (subject to future administrations that would claim he overstepped) and would have forestalled and taken momentum from the more solid solutions that did emerge. had he tried an executive order on DADT, that would have killed the motivation for congress to act on it; the solution then would not have the same force of law, and likely the next republican candidate would be running on overturning his order and would probably raise a lot of money on it; now it is a dead issue for them. had he tried something like that with DOMA, again you might have had a temporary fix, but the deciding court case might not have emerged; and again, now it is a dead issue–it’s not like republicans are going to run against the supreme court decision.

obama has voiced more support for gay rights than every past president of the US combined, and it has made a difference in actual results and in public opinion. i was actually surprised he made the statement about the olympics, given the range of other issues he has do deal with (and the crisis points on the horizon); it’s not like he needed to pander for our votes or support. he could have said nothing at all about it. at this point he could say not one more word about gay rights the rest of his administration and would still be way ahead on the issue. (and he hasn’t stopped–in the aftermath of the DOMA decision his order has been for the administration to find every possible way to extend federal rights to as many people as possible, even for gays who marry in states were marriage is legal but who reside in states where it is not.)

my statement on gratitude is more a general observation. it’s not about being polite, but more about how a mainstream that is gradually being won over to our cause is going to start viewing us and our rights if after every success, major or minor, we keep saying ‘it’s not enough’ or ‘it’s not fast enough’ or ‘we doubt your commitment’. there are groups out there who are waiting to make us appear overly demanding and unreasonable, and i’m not happy to give them the ammunition for it.

Aug 7, 2013 at 2:28 pm · @Reply ·

onyxsky

This is a pr stunt. Most politicians don’t give a flying fuck about anyone. When will people realize it? How about addressing the violation of The American Constitution. All of us are getting screwed over. I hope everyone soon realizes it.

Aug 7, 2013 at 3:05 pm · @Reply ·

Shanestud

Well…..like U.S. and Canadian religious right wing pastors and activists might protest, you are infringing on the “religious rights and freedoms” of Russian Orthodox Christians who support a law which is biblically sound. Christians know that children must be protected from gays and their agenda of homosexual propaganda to recruit them. When recently surveyed 78% of Russians believe that homosexuality is wrong and sinful. Watch..it won’t be long before Pat Robertson and Family Research Council comes out in support of Russia